plentiful paddling in a true wilderness setting

OVERVIEW

Nestled within the Galloway hills, Loch Doon is an expansive 9km long fresh water Loch reachable by road only 15mins from the village of Dalmellington, East Ayrshire.  With huge historical importance from the creation of the Hydro dam head in the 1937 which flooded the valley, Scottish flags can still be seen from Castle Island at Craigmalloch to mark the remains of the 13th centuary Doon castle which was the site of the English seige in 1335. The castle was saved from drowning as it was rebuilt on the western shore at the car park and this is the starting point of our guided tour of the southern shores of the Loch.  

TOUR PROFILE

DISCOVER LOCH DOON

duration

3 - 4 hrs

price

40.00 pp

season

March - November

group size

Max 8 paddlers

meeting point

Roundhouse Cafe, Loch Doon to check in, then onwards by car to south Castle car park

finish point

Loch Doon Castle car park, Craigmalloch

type

Inland Fresh water Loch

route

Circular

tOUR info

tour highlights

  • Stunning vistas of the Galloway hills
  • Journey around the historical sites of Loch Doon 
  • Wildlife watching including birdlife
  • Paddle to a 13th century castle still visible from shore 
  • Visit Carrick Lane waterfalls
  • Snack stop on a secluded island, beach or waterfall

what's included

  • Qualified and experienced local guide
  • 3-4 hours delivery and on water leadership
  • Safety and leadership group equipment
  • High quality SUP equipment hire inc Leash belt, paddle, board & suitable leash
  • Lomo Dry bags
  • Changing robe and standing mat
  • Complimentary inflation of I-sup on arrival
  • Lomo 5mm Wetsuit
  • Fitted Peak UK Personal Flotation Device(PFD)
  • Pre arrival drink and after tour snack/hot drinks
  • Photography capturing your tour experience and sent to you electronically
  • Hot drinks and snacks during the paddle

what to bring

  • Towel or robe for after changing
  • Old trainers or shoes suitable for walking over grass and rocks
  • Personal Wetsuit (min 3mm) or dry splits
  • Swimwear for under wetsuits
  • Personal Flotation Device (Buoyancy Aid)
  • Kit bag for wet clothing
  • Stand Up Paddleboard, paddle, leash, fin (if you have your own and it is in suitable condition)
  • Water bottle or flask with drinks
  • Snacks
  • Personal Medication
  • Suncream 
  • Hat/gloves (Oct onwards)
  • Warm clothes for changing into afterwards
  • Phone and waterproof phone case

is this tour right for you?

We recommend this tour to paddlers who have completed an Intro to SUP lesson with a reputable provider and feel comfortable paddling for longer distances over 2hours of exercise.

See our Tours Guide on the Tours Home page

Suitable for Orcas, Sea Turtles and Porpoises

 

tour itinerary

  • Meet your guide at Roundhouse Cafe, Loch Doon 0930am
  • Onward travel to Craigmalloch castle car park
  • Kit up, inflate and kit check
  • Tour brief, weather check and timings
  • Tour commences heading to the southern end of the loch, taking in Carrick Lane waterfalls
  • Snack and drink stop
  • Continue around the southern end of the loch
  • Visit to old Loch Doon 13th century castle
  • Egress at the granite slabs back to vehicles 1230pm

Frequently Asked Questions

In short, no but a degree of water confidence and ability to tread water is desirable for participating in a water sport. We provide a Personal Flotation Device (Pfd) suitable for a  range of client sizes and weights. Unless instructed otherwise, these are mandatory to wear during our activities as its aids a paddler to float minimising the need to swim.

This entirely depends on the activity.

Our maximum participants on any given activity is 10pax.

Reducing to 6 on Instructor courses and no more than 4 on rivers per leader.

Multi-day/overnight Living Wild trips – max 4

We prefer smaller, more intimate groups, in our experience, builds better connections, it’s safer for group management and provides more time to enjoy the activity together. 

We are also mindful of our environmental impact by inviting groups of people into coastal and inter-tidal zones, wilderness areas where excessive footprints off paths can damage the soil structures, flora and create more bio cross-contaminations. We try keep this to a minimum. 

Yes. The more information about you and your health requirements the better prepared we are to cater for your needs. All your information is stored confidentially. Our medical and readiness questionnaire is contained on our booking form. Please do feel free to call us beforehand to discuss or speak to your leader prior to the session declaring any injuries or medical fitness.

Unfortunately not. We find dogs can be a distraction during safety briefs and during activity. Not all our clients are comfortable around dogs. We are happy to advice on personal paddling with pets and arrange adog-friendly activity.

We are very much governed by HSE Adventure Activities Licencing Scheme regarding working with Children and Vulnerable adults. All our staff and volunteers are PVG checked to work with Children.

On our family sessions our min age is 8years old where due to AALS licencing adults must be present on-site. The only exception is where we operate within a venue which is less than 50m wide which satisfies AALS regulations. We have equipment which will fit this age group and older.

The min age for attending a PaddleUk SUP Instructor level 1 course is 14years.

Our min age for attending our safety courses, coaching sessions and tours is 8years but it is depending on weather and experience and at our discretion. 

Whats included and what you need to bring are described in each page of the tours or courses and also within the confirmation sent prior. 

Full board packages for the activity are included in the price complimentary.

We will also provide a changing cape and standing mat, group equipment such as survival shelter, first aid kit, rewarming kit, spare paddle, pump.

For those with own SUP equipment, we also provide Pfd and wetsuit free of charge at time of booking

We also provide waterproof phone case and cag jackets as wind blockers.

Clients are able and encouraged to bring their own SUP equipment however, our instructors will check the condition and suitability on arrival and may suggest alternative board set up depending on the environment and session/tour. i.e. longer board for longer distances.

Payment transactions can be arranged in a few ways which are most convenience for you but must be paid in full prior to activity commencing.

Our booking engine will handle online payments where we absorb the merchant fee via GoCardless/Stripe on our product pages.

We can send an addressed invoice for groups and businesses payable via GoCardless secure online payment link.

Cash can be accepted on the day where prior arranged with us and receipt emailed post event.

Apologies, we cannot offer a credit or debit card transaction facility on the day of the activity.  

Absolutely. Although we love to take your picture and offer a complimentary photo service sending your highlights to you post activity, we understand it’s not for everyone.

Simply state NO on your booking form on the relevant section.

Furthermore, we also request your permission to use your images on our media accounts and hold no judgements to those who object. We build your trust in this regard.

This is a common question we are asked. Simply put. Unless it’s time critical, we take our pace from the slowest member of the group and we are fully inclusive in how we lead, guide and coach. It’s not a race and we are on an activity to have fun, connect with others and the place we are in, paddle safely and prevent fatigue. We always discuss group paddling strategy and using systems for paddler support on the water such as pairs, small groups, varying leader position etc etc. 

inspo